The Mucker

food a few hours before the farmer's wife called the dog that was asleep i

d been there earlier in the day and who, wonder of wonders, had actually paid for the food she gave him, had been of a different stamp. His clothing had proclaimed him a tramp, but, thanks to the razor Bridge always

d them away, thinking it but an excuse to enter the house; but they argued the matter, explaining that they had discovered

the shotgun in her hand while the two entered the ro

not only about these two, but about the young man who had come earlier in the day and purchased food f

was shocked, and not a little unstrung by the thought that she had been in the house

ty. "It's awful the carryings on they is nowadays. Why a body can't never tell who to

leaning against the wall talking with the farmer woman. The other was busily engaged in scratching his right shin with what rema

was thrown still farther over toward it, and all in the flash

er up the Holy Book, in her haste forgetting the shotgun an

e large book had fallen upon its back, open; and as several of the leaves turne

tramp who lay on the floor, as yet too surprised to attempt to rise, rolled over and seized the book as a football player seizes the pi

ounded into the room. The tramp leaning against the wall sa

As though sensing the fellow's intentions the dog wheeled from the tramp upon

ollapsed to the floor, his chest torn out. Now the woman began to scream for

he other sat astride the victim, his fingers closed about her throat. Once he released his hold and

a lifetime. In agony, as she regained consciousness, she saw the last of their little hoard transferred to the pockets of

the money she had in the world

ne of the men, "an' youse had better pass i

d fire was burning in the stove. A pair of pliers lay upon the window sill. With th

t more wen dis begins to woik," h

growled an

be here in a little while. We'd better

a moment's silence during which his evil face underwent various changes of express

If dey finds her alive she'll blab sure, an' dey won't

her sh

is job if we stop now; but de udder'll mean-" and he made

l doped out. We got lots o' time before de dicks are due. We'll cro

er was

use go nuts

s de dough in de woods. We tells 'em we hurried right on to lead 'em to dis Byrne guy, an' wen we

an put dat over on any wise guy from Chi, do youse? Who will dey tink

is pardner croaked 'em,

lities of the scheme filtered into his dull

ed, real admiration in his ton

in bad for it, so I jest as soon do the job. Get me a kni

back of his consciousness, the dim suggestion of a loud

" he mused. "It sounded

d turned lazily over, raising himsel

ng," he sai

n my throat for seeing things that's new. Out there somewhere we'll ride the range a-look

agreed Billy, c

am of a frightened woman. From the direction of the farmhouse it ca

ped to his feet and followed him, dropping behind though, for he had not had the road work that Billy recently had been through in his training for

r rummaged through a table drawer until he came upon a large carving knife. This would

eard every word that had passed between the two men. She knew that they would carry out the plan they had formulated and that there was no chance that they would be interrupted in their gruesome work, for her husband had driven over

e various uses to which she had put it. That very morning she had sliced some bacon with it. How distinctly such little things

long it. She saw him stoop, his eyes turned down upon hers. He grasped

e suffer all these hideous preliminaries

an through her, and then the door crashed open and a man sprang into the room. It

r; but he was too close. Billy grasped the barrel of the weapon and threw the muzzle up toward the ceiling as the tramp pulled

ed, but ready. The latter realizing that the matted one was attempting to escape, seized a handful of his tangled beard, and, as he had done upon another occasion, held

fe that was to have ended her life he cut her bonds. Removing the gag from her mouth he lifted her in his strong arm

articularly in her comfortable, motherly expansiveness, and she had had a

st a little. The shock had been almost too much even for he

f terror overspread her face. For the moment she had forgotten what she had heard about this man-that he was an escaped convict-a convic

ed the two tramps. He counted the bill

e asked, and handed

led and fearful as she gazed upon Billy's face. She didn't care for the

her and held the rum

coin for a woman to have about de house-an'

ingers. It seemed incredible that

it," she s

at?" ask

ood boy. They said

d, and an expression of

come to say th

if you ARE a murderer I don't care. I won't stand by and see 'em get you after what you have done for me. I don't believe you're a murderer anyhow. You're a good boy. My boy

d a face; but if you are a murderer you get out now before they co

Billy. "We can't

t they don't come any more funny business on me." She ha

have forced the bonds they placed upon them. Then they carried them down c

n along. Got any money?" and without waiting for a reply she counted twenty-five dol

said he; "but t'a

givin' it to my boy, Eddie-please," and the tears that came t

'll take it an' pass it along t

want you to be caught-even if you are

but de law says I am an'

an, but as he stepped out upon the veranda the dust of a fast-moving a

, turning to Bridge

d by them and pe

t must be them. Lor

ack way, that's what

ll get you sure. Wait! I got a scheme. Come with me," and she turned and bustled through the little parlor, out of a doorway into something that was half hall and hal

was a trapdoor

m. "Then climb into the attic, and close the

were in the stuffy atmosphere of the unventilated loft. Beneath them they heard Mrs. Shorter draggi

in the house. For an hour, half asphyxiated by the closeness of the attic, they waited, and

Shorter's voice rose

wn now," she sai

cended she led th

il dark, an' after that I'll have my ol' man take you 'cross to Dodson, that's a junction, an' you'd aughter be able

o of you, an' that the biggest one hed red hair, an' the little one was all pock-marked. Then they said you prob'ly wasn't the man at all, an' my! how they did swear at them two tramps

he had heard his wife's story he said that he'd drive "them t

im, and late that night the grateful fa

re speeding south on

iously, on the red plu

o us, eh, bo?

e str

up the shore-the hunt i

th gold, and o'er her d

n the bay, they nod the

m the prey! The hun